The Pacific Crest Trail
The Pacific Crest Trail (commonly
abbreviated as the PCT, and
occasionally designated as the Pacific
Crest National Scenic Trail) is a long-distance hiking and equestrian
trail closely aligned with the highest portion of the Sierra Nevada and Cascade
mountain ranges, which lie 100 to 150 miles (160 to 240 km) east of the
U.S. Pacific coast. The trail's southern terminus is on the U.S. border with Mexico,
and its northern terminus on the U.S.–Canada border on the edge of Manning Park
in British Columbia, Canada; its corridor through the U.S. is in the states of California,
Oregon, and Washington.
The Pacific Crest Trail is 2,663 mi (4,286 km) long and ranges in elevation from just above sea level at the Oregon–Washington border to 13,153 feet (4,009 m) at Forester Pass in the Sierra Nevada. The route passes through 25 national forests and 7 national parks. Its midpoint is in Chester, California (near Mt. Lassen), where the Sierra and Cascade mountain ranges meet. It was designated a National Scenic Trail in 1968, although it was not officially completed until 1993. The PCT was conceived by Clinton Churchill Clarke in 1932. It received official status under the National Trails System Act of 1968. It is the westernmost and second longest component of the Triple Crown of Hiking, and is part of the 6,875-mile Great Western Loop. You can learn more about the PCT and see more pictures by visiting http://www.pcta.org/ *information and photo from www.wikipedia.org |